‘The Frying Scotsman’ cars exported by train running on used vegetable oil

New eco-locomotive highlights the important role rail freight can play to make transport greener with a delivery of environmentally friendly cars on their way from Derby to continental Europe.

In a pioneering and environmentally friendly first for the UK, hybrid cars built in the Midlands will soon be carried to continental Europe via an eco-locomotive that runs on greener fuel made from used vegetable oil.

Rail freight operator DB Cargo’s sustainable hydro-treated vegetable oil fuelled (HVO) locomotive can cut carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to diesel.

“We are boosting British business while cutting carbon. This is what building back greener is all about,” said Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris.

“Trains are one of the most eco-friendly ways to transport goods and, through ingenuity and innovation, DB Cargo are leading the way in making it even greener.

“DB Cargo is the largest rail freight operating company in the country and has been trialling and expanding its use of HVO as a way to reduce carbon emissions in the short term. This new service using HVO will transport Toyotas built in Derby to continental Europe through the Channel Tunnel and import Toyotas on its return leg,” he added.

DB Cargo CEO Andrea Rossi said, “We are very excited at the prospect of working with Toyota to trial the use of HVO on its services to and from Europe. HVO is one of the world’s purest and greenest fuels and has an important role to play in helping DB Cargo UK and its rail customers decarbonise their operations.

“This will be the first time we have used HVO on an automotive service and one bound for the continent. It’s a first on many levels for us,” Rossi added.

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